Electric switch.



C. D. PLATT. ELECTRIC SWITCH. APPucAUoN min 1AN.4.1915.

Patented Sept. 7,y

Electric Switches, of which the following is .run sfrarns PATENT OFFICE.V

CLLREivCE n. PLATT, or Barnsnronr, CONNECTICUT.

ELECTRIC s WITCH.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLARENCE D. PLATT, a citizen of the United States of America, and residing at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented new and useful Improvements in a. specification.

y My present invention relates particularly to insulating covers switches.

` Special objects of the invention are to provide a simple, inexpensive device of this character which will be durable and unlikely to become torn and injured. A

Other objects are to facilitate the attachvfor push button ment of the cover to the body of the switch and to firmly secure the cover when attached in place so as to reduce the possibility of detachment and loss of the cover' either in shipment or'handling.

In its simplest form the invention consists of a relatively flat sheet of insulating niaterial having a straight sided slot therein slightly wider than the narrower portion of fthe yoke which bridges the open side of the switch base. The edge portions bordering the said slot are preferably depressed below `the plane of the sheet and engaged beneath the wider portions 'of the yoke. As the` slot need be merely the width of the narrower portion of the yoke, the cover is not ma-V terially weakenedv thereby and the absence .of projecting lingers or the like practically' eliminates the possibility of tearing or injuring the cover'by careless handling of the same.

i The narrower portion of the-supporting yoke is usually located at an intermediate point approximately midway between its ends and with portions at each side thereof widened where the push -louttons pass through the yoke. The depressed edge portions of the cover in engaging beneath these widened portions thus secure the cover at two relatively widely separated points and so hold itthe more lirnily in place and prevent lateral shifting thereof. Shifting of the cover is furthermore prevented in the preferred construction by means of the en' Speoical-tion of Letters Patent.

Patented sept. 7, 19157.

Application ined January 4, 1915. serial No. 477.

helps to center the cover and to prevent accidental disengagementl thereof from the yoke.

In the accompanying drawing I` have illustrated two' ofthe preferred forms of my invention but I wouldhave it understood that modifications may be` made therein without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention. v

Figure l is a perspective view of one form of the cover applied to a push button switch of my own invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the cover detached. Fig. 3, is a plan view of a slight modication of the cover.

7 designates the hollow insulating body of the switch, constructed usually of porcelain` :and supported in properposition in the outlet box or the like by `a yoke 8 which bridges the open front of the body and has projecting apertured ends 9 through which they supporting screws are passed. This yoke -may be secured to the body' by screws 10 portion it is widened or' enlarged as indicated at l2 and apertured for the passage therethrough of the push buttons 13. Dependent from the opposite edges lo f the narrow intermediate portion of the yoke are .the arms 14, which in the illustration support the movable parts of the switch mechanism (not shown). l

The insulating. cover is designated :20. l

This cver consists fof a relatively thin, flat plate or sheet of somewhat flexible and resilient insulating material such as fiber, of

a size to close the open end of the switch body and provided with alongitudinal slot.

A2l. therein slightly wider than the narrower portion of theyoke, narrower than the wider portions of the yoke and long enough to receive the wider portions of the yoke. The opposite edges of this'slot are substantially straight and parallel and portions 22 of the said edges are preferably permanently 0H- set or depressed below vthe substantially flat plane of the sheet.

The cover' is usually applied by sliding it laterally to first engage the depreseed por? tions bordering one edge of the slot in beneath the widened portions at'that edge'of the yoke, then bending or bowing the sheet ing . yoke.

to turn the depressed portions at the op posite edge ot the slot into position to pass beneath the widened and simultaneously lowering such portions to carry them down beneath the widened or bulged portions at the opposite edge of the then the depressed portions are thus engaged beneath the enlargements of the yoke the cover is firmly secured thereto and positively held against accidental detachment. Lateral shifting of the cover is limited by the side edges of .the slot abutting against the dependent switch-supporty arms 14: and the engagement ofthe walls 23 at the back of the depressed portions with the edges of the yoke enlargementsfurther serves to center and hold the cover in proper position. Twisting or rotative shifting of the cover is prevented by its being held by the spaced enlargements at two relatively widely separated points. After the switch is installed in its outlet .box the face. plate or wall plate (not shown) covering the parts is applied in the usual way.

In the modification illustrated in Fig. 3

the cover is the same in general respects as the one just described feXcept that the o being interruptedat an intermediate point by a cross strap 31, which when the cover is applied slot is not a continuousV one, it

overlies and covers the narrow intermediate portion 1l of the' yoke.

.32 designates the depressed edge portions which in this case also engage beneath the enlargements on the yoke.

v.1. The combination with an open switch body and a supporting yoke bridging the open end ot the same having a relatively narrow intermediate portion and enlargement-s at oppositesides of the same, ot' a sheet oinsulating material covering the o pen end of the switch body, havinga parallel sidednslot therein as wide as the narrower intermediate portion and narrower than the enlarged portions ot the yoke and edge portions bordering said, slot vengaged beneath the enlargements of the yoke.

2. The combination with a supporting yoke provided with widened portions joined by a relatively narrower portion having portions of the yoke .supporting-arms dependent from the opposite edges thereof, Aot a relatively fiat POFODS being engaged beneath the wider portions of the yoke and the edges between the said engaging portions abutting theidependent arms of the yoke to thereby center the sheet in locked engagement with the `yoke. p

3. As an article of manufacture, a cover tor push button switches comprising a re.- silient sheet of insulating material having slot depressed beloii7 the a parallel sided slot therein, and edge portions bordering said slot adjacent the ends thereof permanently depressed plane of the sheet.

4f. The combination' with an open switch body and a yoke bridging the open face of the same perforated for the passage o switch push buttons therethrough, of an insulating cover for the switch consisting of a sheet ot insulating material overlying the yoke at its ends and having a slot therein extending between said ends and receiving the switch push buttons, said cover having flanges engaging beneath the edges of the yoke at relatively widely separated points adjacent opposite ends of the cover.

5. The combination with an open switch body and a yoke bridging the open face of the same provided with longitudinally sepa-y rated portions perforated for the passageV extending between said ends,` said cover having flanges at the edges of the slot therein extending from the end portions which overlie the yoke down beneath the edges of the separated perforated portions ofther yoke through which the pushbuttons pass whereby the cover is held down at four lpoints adjacent the corners of the slot.

, CLARENCE D. PLATT.

Witnesses MARCUS M. Sci-IENK, PHILir S. MGLEAN,

below the` sol 

